On receiving the news, Antonio Pappano said, "I am astonished but hugely honoured by this news. I am so grateful to the Royal Opera House for providing me with a platform to make music and drama with a world-class orchestra and chorus communicating our passion for this amazing art-form."

Sir John Tomlinson, currently appearing in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg at Covent Garden, said, "I have known and worked with Tony for 25 years now, and he commands my admiration and respect as a fine musician, an impressive pianist, a conductor who understands the singing voice like no other, and an intensely dedicated artistic leader of the Royal Opera House. All of us here in the House are absolutely delighted for him."

Tony Hall, Chief Executive, Royal Opera House said, “On behalf of everyone at the Royal Opera House, I’m absolutely thrilled and delighted that Tony Pappano has been knighted for his services to music. He has boundless energy and we all love working with him. His passion for opera communicates itself to people - those who know a lot about music and those who are new to it. We're very lucky to have him at Covent Garden. Tony has made a huge contribution to the musical life of this country, opera in particular, and works with many of the world’s leading artists. It’s wonderful recognition of his talent, passion and extraordinary commitment that he should be honoured in this way.

"It's also a great way for us all to celebrate the New Year, which sees some really momentous works of opera on our stage at Covent Garden over the coming months with Tony at the helm".

]]>29Chris Shipmanhttp://www.roh.org.uk/?p=68322016-02-05T10:30:01Z2011-12-30T11:29:35ZWhat a busy year we’ve had at the Royal Opera House. From mysterious demonic visitors to human insects, tardy rabbits to Playboy bunnies – our stages have seen them all. We thought we’d take a look at 12 of our stand-out productions from 2011. Following the first six, here are the rest of our top picks...

Tosca

A whirlwind trip through the sights of Rome (and one of Conductor Antonio Pappano’s favourites), Tosca offered up the thrilling trio of Angela Gheorghiu, Bryn Terfel and Jonas Kaufmann in the summer’s hot ticket. Jonathan Kent’s production, originally staged in 2006, is a firm Royal Opera favourite and didn’t disappoint on its return this year.

The Metamorphosis

ROH2’s dance theatre adaptation of Franz Kafka’s seminal novella saw Edward Watson in the role of Gregor Samsa, a travelling salesman who wakes up one morning to discover that he’s been transformed into a giant insect. Garnering critical acclaim, the production was memorable for Watson’s insectoid writhing to Frank Moon’s glitchy, oppressive soundscapes across a stage splattered and stained with gooey treacle.

Faust

A diabolical visitor made a memorable appearance in David McVicar’s visually impressive Faust with René Pape as Mephistopheles providing a performance of real personality and depth, prompting at least one reviewer to cry with a wink and a nudge, “It’s one hell of a show!”. Angela Gheorghiu and Vittorio Grigolo as Marguerite and the title character respectively, also impressed.

Il trittico

A rare outing for Puccini’s triptych in October saw Richard Jones direct a bill of drama, tragedy and comedy conducted by Antonio Pappano. Sandwiched between the atmospheric Il tabarroand the famous comedy Gianni Schicchi, the tragic Suor Angelica received particular acclaim for Ermonela Jaho’s portrayal of a grief-stricken mother.

Asphodel Meadows / Enigma Variations / Gloria

Named after the area of the underworld where the Ancient Greeks believed ordinary souls resided, Liam Scarlett’s Asphodel Meadows kicked off a programme centred around themes of love and death. Followed by Enigma Variations and Gloria - a tribute to the dead of World War I – the bill showcased a trio of Dame Monica Mason’s (deservedly) favourite short works and reminded audiences of the talent of choreographer Liam Scarlett.

La traviata

Featuring the Covent Garden debut of Ailyn Pérez, La traviata table danced its way onto our stage in October in a flurry of ballgowns, champagne and muffled consumptive coughs. Pérez had stepped into the role at short notice during The Royal Opera’s tour of Japan in 2010 to huge acclaim. Alongside the likes of Piotr Beczala as Alfredo and Simon Keenlyside as Giorgio Germont she didn’t disappoint on her first performance as Violetta in London.

What did you most enjoy here in 2011?

]]>3Chris Shipmanhttp://www.roh.org.uk/?p=68212014-05-19T15:58:28Z2011-12-29T10:41:30ZWhat a busy year we’ve had at the Royal Opera House. From mysterious demonic visitors to human insects, running-late rabbits to Playboy pin-ups – our stages have seen them all. We thought we’d take a look at 12 of our stand-out productions from 2011.

Anna Nicole

Brash, buxom and brain-spinningly coarse in places, Mark-Anthony Turnage’s Anna Nicole premiered in February in a storm of publicity and mild controversy. For many, Eva-Maria Westbroek was a revelation as a naïve, small town stripper turned Hollywood wastrel – dissecting the aspirations and failings of the American dream with every flick of her platinum blonde locks and each jazz-tinged lyric. A triumph of contemporary opera.

The Tsar’s Bride

The Royal Opera debut of Rimsky-Korsakov’s rarity (‘Verdi with Vodka’) saw Sir Mark Elder conducting a cast on top form including Marina Poplavskaya and Johan Reuter. Set in a dystopian new-Russia of oligarchs, neon-clad high rises and brutal executions; Paul Curran’s production and Kevin Knight’s designs drew astonished gasps from the audience nightly. A powerful example of transposed context and setting. Watch a video about the production of the scenery:

The Rite of Spring

The final dance programme of the 2010/11 season saw Kenneth MacMillan’s The Rite of Spring performed alongsideAshton’s Scènes de ballet and Glen Tetley’s Voluntaries. Swapping the conventional female sacrificial victim for a male alternative, it provided the company’s male Principals with an opportunity to showcase their athleticism in Stravinsky’s masterpiece. Edward Watson proved particularly impressive, his tortured twists a hint of what was to come later in the year with The Metamorphosis. Watch Dame Monica Mason, the original 'chosen one' discussing MacMillan's approach to the work as well as rehearsal clips:

Ballo della regina / Live Fire Exercise / Danse à Grande Vitesse

Three extraordinary works from The Royal Ballet: a Company first, Ballo; a world premiere, Live Fire Exercise; and a much-loved Company favourite, Danse à Grande Vitesse(DGV). Ballo was a bubbly reimagining of a lost Verdi score by Balanchine, full of fiendishly difficult footwork. Wayne McGregor collaborated with artist John Gerrard, ‘a creator of real-time virtual worlds’ for Live Fire Exercise’s stunning backdrop and soundscape. Christopher Wheeldon’s frenetic choreography to Michael Nyman’s Musique à Grand Vitesse score for DGV capped a memorable mixed programme. Watch John Gerrard and Wayne McGregor discuss the inspiration for Live Fire Exercise:

Romeo & Juliet at the O2

Swapping the Royal Opera House for the cavernous O2 arena was a challenge met with relish by The Royal Ballet in June. Over four nights, thousands of people who had never attended a performance at the company’s home venue had the chance to see a balletic classic. With a staging adapted for the setting, this was the first time the company danced in a UK arena. It returns to the Royal Opera House in January. Truly epic.

Robert Carsen’s new production of Falstaffopens on 15 May 2012. The opera hasn’t been performed on the Royal Opera House stage for a decade and this much-anticipated new production sees the return of Daniele Gatti wielding the baton. The titular role is one of the great baritone parts in opera, to be sung in this production by Ambrogio Maestri, an artist acclaimed for his performances in Verdian roles. Falstaff features fast-paced wit complete with a healthy dose of slapstick and is a wonderful example of all the colour and character of opera at its most entertaining.

The performance on 30 May 2012 will be broadcast live around the UK to BP Big Screens and London 2012 live sites, giving thousands access to world-class opera for free.

Elijah Moshinsky’s Otello returns to the Royal Opera House on 12 July; a tragic battle between good and evil showcasing Verdi’s affinity for Shakespeare in all his dramatic variety. Aleksandrs Antonenko sings the role of Venetian general Otello, a man tricked into believing in the faithlessness of his pure wife Desdemona. Also featuring Anja Harteros as Desdemona and Lucio Gallo as Iago (acclaimed for his triumphant performance in Gianni Schicchi in 2011), the cast will be conducted by Antonio Pappano, Music Director of The Royal Opera.

Although not part of the World Shakespeare Festival, continuing the connection with the Bard, The Royal Ballet will perform the tragic Romeo and Juliet (10 January – 31 March as well as Frederick Ashton’s one-act rendering of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream in The Dream(1 February – 5 March).

Do you have a favourite operatic or balletic take on Shakespeare? Will you be seeing Falstaff, Otello or The Dream?

]]>2Katie Vernon-Smithhttp://www.roh.org.uk/?p=66792014-05-19T15:58:30Z2011-12-21T11:02:16ZEarlier this month the Royal Opera House Thurrock Community Chorus gave their Christmas concert at the Ellis Theatre in Thurrock.

The Chorus has been together for just seven months and is made up of members from the area around the Royal Opera House’s production workshop. Our youngest member is eight and our oldest member is in her 80s. No auditions are held and anyone with an interest in music and singing is welcome. The range of ability is diverse with some members being extremely proficient singers, and others having no prior experience. Repertoire mixes opera as well as contemporary and choral works.

At the group’s debut public performance on Sunday 11 December the Chorus performed a wonderful selection of pieces including a rousing chorus from Verdi's Il Trovatore and a moving piece from Purcell's Dido and Aeneas. They also performed extracts from Menizotti's Amahl to a very receptive audience - the title role was sung by two of our youngest Chorus members, Ashley (10) and Blaise (9). Two soloists, Andrew Rees and Nicola Wydenbach, sang a lively duet as well as extracts from Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, Mozart's Idomeneo and the famous Brindisi from Verdi's La traviata. The climax saw an audience singalong of popular Christmas carols followed by mulled wine and mince pies.

We are actively seeking to increase our membership and are anticipating an exciting programme of events for the coming year. This will not just include some fabulous concerts, one of which will take place in Covent Garden, but also training and skills development for all singers. Newcomers will be able to get help with reading music, breathing and singing technique and more experienced singers will get the opportunity to develop their technique.

An opening evening will be held on 9 January 2012. Please email getinvolved@roh.org.uk or phone 01708 981200 to find out more.

The High House Production Park in Purfleet was a-buzz yesterday as students from all over the Thames Gateway came together to celebrate their work and share feedback on the final stages of the two projects: Metamorphosis and Bright Sparks.

A performance project, Metamorphosis was created by students from Commonside Children's Support Service in Harlow. Taking inspiration from ROH2's The Metamorphosis, the students composed songs and designed sets with professional artists, working towards a Bronze Arts Award in the process. After their performance they met Edward Watson, Principal of The Royal Ballet and star of The Metamorphosis, presenting him with their sets. It was clear from their enthusiasm how much it meant to the students who took part.

Bright Sparks was a collaboration between the Royal Opera House and students from a group of Essex secondary schools: Shoeburyness High, Basildon Academy, Brentwood Ursuline and Gateway Academy. The project asked students for feedback about their experience of arts education and how it could be improved. The Key Stage 3 students from each school shared lots of ideas with us about what they thought motivated young people to get involved in the arts, and have become Bright Sparks Ambassadors within their schools.

Students also had the opportunity to quiz arts professionals including scriptwriters, actors, digital set designers and our own Edward Watson on their career choices.We hope that events like this open up the arts to students and give us valuable information about how to engage them with the arts – everyone involved certainly seemed to have a great time!

In Essential Tosca, Antonio Pappano explores the ravishing and gut-wrenching music of Puccini's Tosca and the importance of Rome in the opera. Antonio takes us through the work, both at the piano and in rehearsal with the stars of the Royal Opera House's recent production of Tosca, which is shown on BBC Two immediately after the documentary. The ROH cast includes Angela Gheorghiu as Floria Tosca, Bryn Terfel as Baron Scarpia and tenor Jonas Kaufmann as Cavaradossi.

Pappano's Essential Tosca is the perfect introduction to the opera for those who haven't seen it but should also offer new insights to those familiar with the great work. You can watch an extended preview here:

If this gives you a taste for Maestro Pappano's work you can watch a recent Insights event he recorded about Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg earlier this month, filmed in front of an audience at the Royal Opera House

Now in his mid-60s, Sir John has enjoyed a stellar career over the past 40 years. After a stint as a civil engineer, the bass singer made his Royal Opera debut in Salome in 1977 and since then has become one of the opera world’s most eminent performers, known in particular for his interpretation of Wagner. In the past 34 years, he’s trodden the boards of the world’s leading opera houses – singing at Bayreuth every year between 1988 and 2004 and receiving a knighthood in 2005. Despite the acclaim he’s received he remains extremely down to earth. "I’ve done far more than I ever thought; I’m still learning stuff all the time”. It’s clear he relishes his new part in one of the operas he is most closely associated with.

In the course of his career Sir John has taken a wide range of parts: “I’ve spent the last 20 years singing the best bass parts –from Claggart in Billy Budd to King Philip from Don Carlos, not to mention all those great Wagnerian roles. I’ve also had the honour of having two great parts written for me for this house by Harrison Birtwistle – the eponymous Minotaur and The Green Knight in Gawain. They’re all great parts for a voice like mine. I never expected to do some of them as they’re bass baritone parts and never thought my voice would be high enough. Fortunately however, it seems to have worked out well. There are certain parts I haven’t done that I’d like to however – Nick Shadow in The Rake’s Progress for example.”

He has over the years, worked with an extraordinary range of artists which reads like a who's who of the operatic and classical world. His first Meistersinger at Covent Garden was in 1993, when he sang the role of Hans Sachs with Thomas Allen as Beckmesser: “Thinking about working with Tom as Beckmesser in particular brings a smile to my face. He’s a very human performer and extremely creative, as well as being rather funny when he wants to be. We’ve had some great times.”

Conductors too have also left their mark on Sir John: “Conducting is a very mysterious business. I hugely enjoyed working with Bernard Haitink – he conducted Meistersinger so beautifully. In rehearsal, he doesn’t say much but everybody who is there is on the edge of their seats waiting to make great music - he’s got this magnetism.”

Over the course of his career, the singer has noticed a change in the approach in the approach of conductors: “I’ve worked with the likes of Von Karajan, Solti and Muti. The old school – Von Karajan and Solti – had the old dictatorial, tyrannical approach. It was very impressive and as a singer you did absolutely what they wanted. They didn’t give you much leeway or freedom. These days things are different. Antonio Pappano is conducting this revival and he is a joy to work with, he keeps a perpetual, lively pulse from start to finish of this long piece. No dictator, yet very demanding.

“I was taught a great deal about discipline in particular by the German director Harry Kupfer who I worked with on The Ring at Bayreuth in 1988. He taught me about stillness and intensity – a combination of the two. You don’t need to move and if you do it may be a very explosive movement, but stillness doesn’t mean deadness, it means even more effort mentally. It took me time to learn that.”

“Give audiences pleasure and express emotion. If you’ll be famous, you’ll be famous,” he muses when asked what his advice to younger singers would be, “concentrate on giving excellent performances”. Sir John’s work ethic and belief in the importance of art seemingly reflects those held by the Meistersingers in the opera.

In total, BP will invest almost £10 million in the four partnerships over the next five years. The increased level of funding from BP will allow us to further develop our programmes and extend access to wider audiences.

The renewal and expansion of the partnerships was announced today in the BP Lecture Theatre in the British Museum in London, at an event attended by Ed Vaizey MP, Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, as well as the Chief Executives of the four cultural organisations.

Since the beginning of the institutions’ partnerships with BP, the Royal Opera House’s BP Summer Big Screens programme has expanded from one initial location in London in 2000 to 21 locations across the UK in 2011, providing thousands of people access to free world-class ballet and opera.

"I am extremely thrilled that BP has committed to a further five years with the Royal Opera House. The way in which the partnership has grown and developed over the past 23 years is extraordinary - we reached more than 40,000 people this year through our free BP Summer Big Screens, and have worked with many, many more people over the years through various education activities.”

“This is a significant investment, with £10 million going directly towards the staging of world-class exhibitions and performances. For more than 20 years, BP has led the way in business support for the arts, and I am delighted that this will continue over the next five years.”

BP is also a major sponsor of next year’s Olympics, contributing a significant amount towards to the London 2012 Festival. The Royal Opera House is an official IOC venue for the games and is the location of The Olympic Journey, an exhibition telling the Olympic story through the endeavours of ancient and modern Olympians.